Going Back to Work When Your Kids Start School

Now, About Your Career

When you decide that it's the right time to return to work you must decide whether you want to return to the same career. Many people do, while others decide that this is the perfect time to make a career change. Whether you've taken off five years or fifteen there's a good chance there have been some changes in your field since you last worked. Have you kept up with those changes? Hindsight is 20/20 as they say, but it probably would have been a good idea to have kept up with your field. If you didn't it's not too late. If you decide to continue in your old career, you should do a little research to find out what has changed and what you need to know to compete for jobs with those who never left or even with those who are just starting out. You might decide to take another year or so off to take some courses.

Maybe you don't think it's worth your while to get the training necessary to continue in your former career. You may have discovered other interests during your hiatus and you want to look into a different career. Or maybe your chance of getting a job in your previous field are slim due to changes in the market. In that case, you will have to decide what career choice to make.

Fortunately there are many resources to help you do that. You can meet with a career development professional who will do a self assessment which looks at your values, interests, skills, and personality in order to determine what careers you are best suited for. Together you'll consider these options and ultimately come up with your future occupation.

Once you have come up with a list of possible occupations, you can begin to explore them, using published resources as well as informational interviews. Informational interviews involve speaking to people who work in the field in which you are interested.

Eventually, after learning enough about the various options, you'll pick one. You may have to earn a degree or certificate, learn some new skills, and brush up on some old ones before you can actually enter your chosen field. You've taken time off for your family, now it's time to do something for yourself. Good luck.

More:

Dealing With Practical Matters When You Go Back to Work